1. Research Area

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• Improved climate change resilience of Msmes based on a systems thinking approach

• The impact of public participation in urban water resources Management on operation and maintenance of sponge city from the perspective of social capital

• Improvement of rural human settlement environment based on participatory research method

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2. Educational Background

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Ph.D. in Sustainable Water Management, University College London

M.S. in Environmental Engineering, Cornell

B.S. in Environmental Science, Cornell

Environmental Engineering, Exchange in EPFL

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3. Academic and other achievements

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Research Work

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November 2021 - present Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Civil Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University——Zhuhai | China

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• Responsible for guiding undergraduate innovation projects related to Sponge City

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• Investigate the application of participatory research methods in Chinese water research

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• Study the role of insurance in flood mitigation and adaptation strategies and behaviours of smes using an ABM-based model

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• Use questionnaire survey and focus group discussion to study conflict resolution and community level maintenance in sponge city renovation projects

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March 2020-October 2021 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of York——York | UK

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• A literature review of flood prevention measures and disaster resilience for small and medium-sized enterprises (smes)

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• Responsible for project work Package 2, designing and implementing exploratory surveys, semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis, and statistical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data

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• Designed and organized a focus group discussion and two webinars for stakeholder participation

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• Designed a tool for 3D assessment of flood resilience for smes in the north of England

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• Established good relationships with our stakeholders through online activities and interviews, and encouraged them to actively participate in the project and share resources

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• Promote dissemination of research findings through journal articles, reports, events, public engagement and outreach

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Paper Publication

 

• Yao Z and Bell S (2022) Tacit knowledge in water management: a case study of Sponge City. UCL Open Environment

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4. DOI: 10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000031

• Fairbrass, Alison J. et al (2018). “Green Infrastructure for London: A review of the evidence A report by the Engineering Exchange for Just Space and the London Sustainability Exchange.”

• Yao, Z (2016), Closing the implementation gap in urban water management - the dynamics of knowledge network in China's Sponge City, Charlesworth, S. (Ed.), Proceedings of the Water Efficiency Conference 2016, 7-9 September, Coventry UK: WATEF Network/University of Bath

• Under revision: Sakai and Yao (2023) Financial losses and flood damages experienced by SMEs: who are the biggest losers across sectors and sizes? Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction

• Under review: Yao and Bell (2023) Access and mobilisation of knowledge as social resources in water management: a case study of the Sponge City network in China. Urban Water Journal

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Reports and Meetings

 

• July 2019 - UCL EAST workshop for exploring module co-design methods, London. UK

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• December 2018 - ICE - Wavin Design Sprint workshop: “Finding Better Ways to Manage Surface Water”, London, UK

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• December 2017 - Building Resilience Into risk Management (BRIM) workshop on “intersections between resilience and risk”, Loughborough, UK

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• September 2017 - “Integrated urban water management under China’s centralised planning system – using Sponge City programme as a case study” presentation at 14th IWA/IAHR International Conference on Urban Drainage, Prague, Czech Republic

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• September 2016 - “Closing the implementation gap in urban water management - the dynamics of knowledge network in China's Sponge City” presentation at Water Conference of the Water Efficiency Network, Coventry, UK

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Academic and other Achievements

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• Authored several papers on cross-disciplinary communication in sponge cities and flood resilience and risk management of smes

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• Responsible for Bridging the knowledge gap to boost SMEs resilience sub-project at the University of York, designed for smes in the North of England

 

A tool for three-dimensional assessment of flood resistance

 

• Served as rapporteur for Young Water Professionals at Asia Water Forum 2022

 

• Ambassador for New Century (OA), International Water Association Publishing House, 2023

 

• Participated in UCL Engineering Exchange's professional report "Green" for the London Sustainability Exchange and Just Space organization

 

Infrastructure for London: A review of the evidence"

 

• Co-Chair, UCL Water Group (2016-2018), during which the organization won the Researcher Networks and Academic Societies Fund and was nominated for the UCL Sustainable Development Award

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• Nominated for Best Team Contribution Award as a graduate assistant (2017)